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University of Illinois Mass Digitization ProjectBetsy Kruger,Project Director.Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books: Electronic Edition: Electronic EditionUrbana : University of Illinois Graduate School of Library Science,1958-

The copy transcribed is from print holdings at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library

Prepared for the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign Library Mass Digitization Project.

The text has not been edited. This is a "dirty" OCR.

First published in electronic form in 2007

I L I N I
S
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
PRODUCTION NOTE
University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign Library
Large-scale Digitization Project, 2007.

OCTOBER 1972
VOLUME 26
NUMBER 2
THE UNVERSIT
OF CHICAG
G ADUT
LIBRR
EXPLANATION OF CODE SYMBOLS USED
WITH ANNOTATIONS
R Recommended
Ad Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material
in the area.
M Marginal book that is so slight in content or has so many weaknesses in style
or format that it should be given careful consideration before purchase.
NR Not recommended.
SpC Subject matter or treatment will tend to limit the book to specialized col-
lections.
SpR A book that will have appeal for the unusual reader only. Recommended
for the special few who will read it.
Except for pre-school years, reading range is given for grade rather than for
age of child.
BuLLErI or E C TER FOR CHmDREN'S Boos is published monthly except
August by The University of Press for The University of Chicago, Gradu-
ate Library School. Mrs Zena Sutherland, Editor. An advisory committee meets
weekly to discuss books and reviews. The members are Yolanda Federici, Sara
Fenwick, Marjorie Hoke, Isabel McCaul, Hattie L. Power, and Charlemae Rollins.
SUsnUwrN RATES 1 year, $8.00; $7.00 per year for each additional subscrip-
tion to the same address. Singl copy rate: from vol. 25, $1.00; vols. 17 through
, .Complete back volume (1 issues): vols. 17-22, $4.00; vol. -24, $5.00.
Reprinted volumes 1-16 (1947-1963) available from Kraus Reprint Co., 16 East
46th reet New York New York 10017. Volumes available n microfilm from
University Microfilms, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106. Checks
should be made payable to The University of Chicago Press. All notices of change
of address should provide both the old and the new address. Address all inquiries
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EDIORrAL CORRESPONDENCE, review copies and all correspondence about re-
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Illinois 60637.
Second-class postage paid at Chicago, Illinois.
0 1972 by the University of Chicago. All rights reserved.
PRINTED IN U.S.A.

Bulletin
of the Center for Children's Books
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO * GRADUATE LIBRARY SCHOOL
Volume 26 OCTOBER, 1972 Number 2
New Titles for Children and Young People
Aaron, Chester. Better than Laughter. Harcourt, 1972. 154p. $4.75.
Twelve-year-old Allan, irritated by his father's criticism and by his parents' appar-
Ad ent preference for social life rather than family life, convinces his younger brother
5-7 to run away with him. The boys go off, stop to look at an interesting county dump,
and meet the old caretaker who lives there, Horace. Horace has been patiently
collecting odd scraps for years and has rebuilt so many old household machines
that the place is almost a museum. The boys are fascinated by this and by the
simplicity of Horace's life and beg to be allowed to stay. Their new friend says
the boys must go home, so they do-and there they find that nothing has changed.
When Horace is forcibly evicted from the site (the boys' father has bought it) Allan
and his brother come to the old man's aid. They know which side they're on.
Although the battle lines are firmly drawn-technocracy and the establishment versus
innocence and the simple life-the lesson is stressed to the detriment of the story;
the characters are too much pegged. There is, however, a good deal of action and
excitement, and the friendship between the old man and the two boys is convincingly
drawn and quite touching. The title is from Ecclesiastes 7:3, "Anger is better than
laughter: because in the sadness of the countenance the mind of the offender is
corrected."
Aliki. Fossils Tell of Long Ago; written and illus. by Aliki. T. Y. Crowell, 1972. 33p. (Let's-
Read-and-Find-Out Books) Trade ed. $3.75; Library ed. $4.50 net.
Lively and amusing drawings add to the informational value of a good introduction
R to the subject of fossils, the writing and the scope of the book making it simple
2-3 enough to read to preschool children although it is intended for the independent
reader. Aliki describes the ways in which fossils were formed, what they can show
about the past, and where some fossils probably can be found. As in other books
in the Read-and-Find-Out Science Book series, the text has been carefully gauged
to the audience, with no extraneous material to confuse the young reader.
Allen, Terry, ed. The Whispering Wind; Poetry by Young American Indians. Doubleday,
1972. 128p. Paper ed. $1.95; Library ed. $2.70 net.
The Institute of American Indian Arts is a combined high school and art institute
R attended by young people from Eskimo, Aleut, and American Indian Tribes. The
6- writings of each of the fourteen students included here are prefaced by a page of
background information. Few of the poems have a note of bitterness, although many
are grave; many have the fresh awareness that is universal to youth, many a fine
lyric quality. If there is a pervasive emphasis, it is proud recognition of the poets'
heritage.
[21]

Bulletin
of the Center for Children's Books
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO * GRADUATE LIBRARY SCHOOL
Volume 26 OCTOBER, 1972 Number 2
New Titles for Children and Young People
Aaron, Chester. Better than Laughter. Harcourt, 1972. 154p. $4.75.
Twelve-year-old Allan, irritated by his father's criticism and by his parents' appar-
Ad ent preference for social life rather than family life, convinces his younger brother
5-7 to run away with him. The boys go off, stop to look at an interesting county dump,
and meet the old caretaker who lives there, Horace. Horace has been patiently
collecting odd scraps for years and has rebuilt so many old household machines
that the place is almost a museum. The boys are fascinated by this and by the
simplicity of Horace's life and beg to be allowed to stay. Their new friend says
the boys must go home, so they do-and there they find that nothing has changed.
When Horace is forcibly evicted from the site (the boys' father has bought it) Allan
and his brother come to the old man's aid. They know which side they're on.
Although the battle lines are firmly drawn-technocracy and the establishment versus
innocence and the simple life-the lesson is stressed to the detriment of the story;
the characters are too much pegged. There is, however, a good deal of action and
excitement, and the friendship between the old man and the two boys is convincingly
drawn and quite touching. The title is from Ecclesiastes 7:3, "Anger is better than
laughter: because in the sadness of the countenance the mind of the offender is
corrected."
Aliki. Fossils Tell of Long Ago; written and illus. by Aliki. T. Y. Crowell, 1972. 33p. (Let's-
Read-and-Find-Out Books) Trade ed. $3.75; Library ed. $4.50 net.
Lively and amusing drawings add to the informational value of a good introduction
R to the subject of fossils, the writing and the scope of the book making it simple
2-3 enough to read to preschool children although it is intended for the independent
reader. Aliki describes the ways in which fossils were formed, what they can show
about the past, and where some fossils probably can be found. As in other books
in the Read-and-Find-Out Science Book series, the text has been carefully gauged
to the audience, with no extraneous material to confuse the young reader.
Allen, Terry, ed. The Whispering Wind; Poetry by Young American Indians. Doubleday,
1972. 128p. Paper ed. $1.95; Library ed. $2.70 net.
The Institute of American Indian Arts is a combined high school and art institute
R attended by young people from Eskimo, Aleut, and American Indian Tribes. The
6- writings of each of the fourteen students included here are prefaced by a page of
background information. Few of the poems have a note of bitterness, although many
are grave; many have the fresh awareness that is universal to youth, many a fine
lyric quality. If there is a pervasive emphasis, it is proud recognition of the poets'
heritage.
[21]
Baker, Charlotte. Cockleburr Quarters; illus. by Robert Owens. Prentice-Hall, 1972. 176p.
$4.95.
Although weakened by an all-problems-solved pat ending, the story of the black
Ad neighborhood community of Cockleburr Quarters is lively and believable, permeated
5-7 with the belief in humane treatment for animals. Dolph, who has rescued a crippled
dog and her pups, knows he can't bring them home, so he hides them in a deserted
building where a kindly and knowledgeable hobo, Jake, teaches him how to care
for dogs. Jake also brings other interested children into his animal-welfare program.
A demolition plan threatens Cockleburr Quarters, but Dolph has an idea that provides
a new home for his family. The dialogue is realistic, the home setting one in which
it is accepted that there is an "uncle" in the house, that two of Dolph's sisters
have illegitimate babies, and that one of them goes off with Uncle, leaving her
child for her mother to bring up, but this is emphasized less than the industry and
ambition of other members of the family.
Baylor, Byrd. When Clay Sings; illus. by Tom Bahti. Scribner, 1972. 29p. $4.95.
Every piece of clay, Indian parents tell children who find shards, should be treated
R with respect, since it was a part of somebody's life. "They even say it has its
2-5 own small voice and sings in its own way." The pages, handsome in earth colors
and black and white, show designs derived from prehistoric Indian pottery of the
Southwest, and the text consists of what the children of today imagine about the
four cultures (Anasazi, Mogollon, Hohokam, and Mimres) from which the clay
pottery came. The book is dignified in format, the illustrations and text beautifully
united, and the text both reveals the richness of the ancient cultures and hints,
to the reader, the ways in which one learns about prehistory from artifacts.
Benarde, Anita. The Pumpkin Smasher; written and illus. by Anita Benarde. Walker, 1972.
32p. $4.50.
A Halloween story about a small town that has always made a big event of the
NR holiday, with pumpkins in front of every house. When, after three consecutive years
K-2 of finding all the pumpkins smashed, the mayor calls a meeting, the Turner twins
come up with a solution: painting a rock to look like a pumpkin and foiling the
miscreant. The twins stay up to watch, and find that the pumpkin smasher is a
witch. Angry at not being able to smash the rock, she leaves a note saying that
she will have to find another town the next year. Problem solved; trick-or-treating
resumed. Adequate illustrations and writing style are far overbalanced by the fact
that the story abruptly shifts from realism to fantasy.
Benchley, Nathaniel. Small Wolf; pictures by Joan Sandin. Harper, 1972. 64p. (I Can Read
Books). Traded. $2.50; Library ed. $2.92 net.
Although the text oversimplifies the relationship between Indians and colonists
R in pre-Revolutionary times, this book for beginning readers offers an antidote to
1-3 the image of the hostile red man, always ready to take a scalp. Small Wolf reports
excitedly to his father that there are men with all-white skins and strange animals
on the island (Manhattan) where he had gone to hunt. White men were all right,
his father said, if you left them alone. When all the game on the island disappeared,
Small Wolf's father went to talk to the white men, was shot at, and learned that
they had bought the island. How can anyone sell the land that belongs to everyone
just as the sea and sky do? (A provocative question for discussion.) They had
better move, the Indian father decides, and they do. The white man comes again;
[22]
they move again, "And again. And again." The story ends thus, on a poignant
note. Simply written but not stilted, the book has dramatic and humanitarian interest
as well as historical use, and the illustrations have the same dramatic simplicity.
Bendick, Jeanne. Adaptation; written and illus. by Jeanne Bendick. Watts, 1971. 67p. (Science
Experiences). $3.95.
Lively drawings, well integrated with the text, add to the informative value of
R a book that uses the process approach to stimulate a reader's thinking about the
3-5 purposes and the effectiveness of adaptations in the plant and animal worlds. The
text is continuous, divided by headings into such topics as "animals are adapted
for getting food," "plants are adapted for making food." "animals are adapted
to protect themselves," et cetera. Headings also adjure the reader, "think for your-
self," and, occasionally, "now think some more," and under these headings are
questions-some answers being rather obvious, others demanding thought, and some
answered in part by the illustrations. Not the only good book on adaptation, this
is valuable for its fresh approach and its scientific accuracy. An index is appended.
Binzen, William. First Day in School; written and illus. by Bill Binzen. Doubleday, 1972.
30p. $4.50.
Large black and white photographs show children adjusting to the first day of
M kindergarten, and can give the pre-school child some idea of what the activities
3-5 of a school day are like. The text is minimal (a sentence or two per page) and
yrs. unnecessarily flat and curt for a read-aloud book: "The teacher shows us all the
games and makes us feel at home . . . Alice has found something interesting ...
Jimmy has met some funny people. Why are they waving their arms, Jimmy?"
This has neither the note of warm encouragement nor the narrative quality of such
books as Miriam Cohen's "Will I Have a Friend?"
Blume, Judy. It's Not the End of the World. Bradbury, 1972. 169p. $4.95.
To Karen, it does seem like the end of her world. Surely, surely she can find
R some way of softening her adamant mother, of bringing her father back. She tries
4-7 everything she can think of, including a desperate and unsuccessful effort to make
herself ill; she discusses the problem with Val, whose parents have been divorced
and who recommends a book: The Boys and Girls Book About Divorce by Richard
Gardner. (This may be the most enthusiastic free plug in print.) Val knows, Karen
feels, since she is so intelligent that she reads the New York Times every Sunday
in its entirety. When Karen's brother disappears, her father comes over to help,
and the acrimony between her parents makes her aware that separation is inevitable.
Perceptive, funny, sad, and honest, Karen's story is convincingly told with all the
volatile intensity of a twelve-year-old.
Brown, David. Someone Always Needs a Policeman; written and illus. by David Brown.
Simon and Schuster, 1972. 40p. $3.95.
Cartoon-style illustrations echo the breezy tone of a text that introduces young
Ad children to the varieties of services performed by men and women in the police
3-6 force. The text is very simply written: "Policemen help firemen and save children
yrs. when there is a fire, and they come running when someone calls for help... It's
good to have a policeman around when you are lost. . . Sometimes I wish policemen
weren't always around, when I want to do things like cross the street when the
light is red, or pick the flowers in the park. . .". Not substantial, and not necessarily
[23]
reflecting every child's experience, but an adequate introduction to the subject of
police work.
Chandler, Edna Walker. Almost Brothers; illus. by Freddrvin. Whitman, 1971. 128p. Trade
ed. $3.25; Library ed. $2.44 net.
Benjie's father, Dr. Brave, had come to Arizona to run a small hospital, and
Ad Benjie wished he hadn't. He missed his friends, he missed the older brother who
4-6 had gone away to college. He could speak Sioux as well as English, but none of the
other Indian children here were Sioux, and the Yaqui boys didn't even try to talk to
him. Benjie soon became very friendly with a Chicano boy, and when Juanito's
father was hurt in an industrial accident, he came to stay at Benjie's house. Although
the theme of adjustment and the intercultural community life are of value, their
strength is diminished by the rather plodding plot.
Cohen, Miriam. The New Teacher; illus. by Lillian Hoban. Macmillan, 1972. 30p. $3.95.
A third book about Jim at school (Will I Have a Friend? and Best Friends)
R has the same simplicity, the same humor, the same appealing directness of text
4-6 and illustrations that made the first two so successful. Readers-aloud will recognize
yrs. the Playground Wit: if one joke is successful, run it into the ground by overexposure.
Jim's riddle about the dreaded new teacher masks his nervousness, and he enters
the classroom expecting someone who "is very big and hollers loud." The new
teacher is big and she does holler; she hollers a cheerful, enthusiastic greeting to
her new class. A good time is clearly in the offing. True to child behavior, this
amiable read-aloud story neither patronizes children nor prettifies them.
Cross, Wilbur. The New Age of Medical Discovery; by Wilbur Cross and Susan Graves.
Hawthorn Books, 1972. 119p. illus. $4.95.
Although much like other recent books on the advancement of medical frontiers,
R this has the advantage of being up-to-date, it is written in a brisk, straightforward
7-10 style, and includes some of the exciting new tools and techniques garnered from
the research programs for outer-space medicine. The text also describes cancer
research, cryogenic medicine, ultrasound surgery, and transplants. A chronology
of medical breakthroughs, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index are included.
Edwards, Harvey. France and the French. Nelson, 1972. 222p. illus. Trade ed. $4.95; Library
ed. $4.65 net.
Written by an American who has been living in France for over a decade, this
Ad is a broad survey of life in France today, prefaced by a historical section. The
6-9 book is not as well written as Bragdon's The Land and People of France but has
the advantage of being more up-to-date. The writing style is adequate here, a bit
dry, and weakened by occasional generalizations. The material is well-organized,
but the treatment seems uneven: for example, the chapter on "Education and the
May 1968 Crisis" gives ample information on higher education, very little on lower
schools. A minor weakness is in the photograph captions, some of which are journal-
ese. On the whole, a useful book. A map, a list of "Historical Highlights", another
of the "Important Rulers of France", and an index are appended.
Foley, Louise Munro. Somebody Stole Second; illus. by John Heinly. Delacorte, 1972. 45p.
Trade ed. $4.50; Library ed. $4.17 net.
It wasn't until Pete hit his first double of the year that he discovered that he
couldn't touch second base, because second base (an old pillow) was gone. Pete
[24]
Ad and his friends hunted everywhere, suspecting first the rival team and then the
2-3 little sister of one boy, since she had once stolen their bats. They even tried the
doghouse. Disconsolate, they went to Pete's room-and there under the bedspread
was second base, just where the dog had hidden it. The writing style is adequate
(save for one grammatical error) but the plot is thin, unalleviated by humor; the
only humor is in the title phrase.
Gaeddert, LouAnn. Too Many Girls; illus. by Marylin Hafner. Coward, 1972. 45p. $3.86.
The only trouble with the new house that he'd just moved to, Freddy thought,
M was girls. Girls in the house, girls across the street, girls next door, all baking
2-3 cookies, playing with dolls, coloring and pasting. On his hunt for boys his own
age, Freddy finds a girls' day camp, some older boys playing ball, and finally a
group his own age. The fact that the first person he meets in the group is a girl
called Jake, the only girl in the group, and that she is "not a girl girl" doesn't
really becloud the stereotyped presentation of "girl girl" activity. The story ends
with Freddy, the other boys, and Jake working daily and happily on their clubhouse.
Not a new theme, not very substantial treatment.
Goffstein, M. B. The Underside of the Leaf. Farrar, 1972. 150p. $4.50.
Spending the summer with her grandparents, twelve-year-old Paula is smitten
R by the boy friend of an older girl next door. Tom is from New York, he's a jazz
7- musician, and he is all things wonderful to a dreamy, lonely child. Every casual
word of Tom's seems significant to Paula, and she is thrilled, later, when he sends
her one of his paintings. Five years later, a still-dreaming Paula arranges a trip
to New York, ostensibly to see an art exhibit, and calls Tom. He scarcely remembers
her, but is flattered to hear she had been in love with him and promptly asks her
over. It's a disillusioning experience: he's obviously prepared to take her straight
to bed, and Paula's reaction-although she talks him out of it amiably enough-is
clear when she is packing later, "making sure that her white nightgown didn't touch
any of the things she had worn at Tom's place." When Tom leaves her at the
airport, she has a flash of nostalgic love for him, but by the time she is airborne,
Paula is already spinning fantasies about the college man sitting next to her. Funny
in a bittersweet way, this story of innocence triumphant is written in an easy, graceful
style and conceived with sensitivity. The early scenes with Paula's grandparents
are delightful, and the dialogue throughout rings true.
Gross, Ruth Belov. What Is that Alligator Saying? pictures by John Hawkinson. Hastings
House, 1972. 48p. $4.95.
Illustrated by beautifully detailed watercolor pictures, this is an excellent introduc-
R tion to the subject of animal communication. It is simple, succinct, well-organized
2-3 and informative, describing the ways in which animals call for help or warn of
danger, give signals for mating or for warning others away from an established
territory, or lay a trail to a source of food. A few experiments are described, such
as the one that determined that it is the sound of a chick's peeping rather than
the sight of the chick that brings a response from the mother hen. An index is
appended.
Hall, Lynn. Sticks and Stones. Follett, 1972. 220p. Trade ed. $4.95; Library ed. $4.98 net.
There weren't many adolescents of Tom's age in Buck Creek, Iowa, and Floyd
Schleffe, fat and awkward, wasn't one he desired as a friend. When Ward Alexander,
[25]
R just out of the Air Force, appeared, Tom was delighted: a friend who liked good
7-10 music and books, a sensible guy to whom you could really talk. But Buck Creek
was a small town; Floyd was jealous, so was a girl who had hoped to interest
Tom. And so the snickering began, the snickering and the rebuffs and the gossip.
When Tom is forbidden to go to the state music finals because parents don't want
him on a two-day bus trip with their sons, he learns from the school principal what
is being said. Stunned, he withdraws from his classmates-then he begins to wonder
about himself. Is he a homosexual? Ward's the only one he can talk to-and Ward
tells Tom he had been discharged from the service because of a homosexual incident.
Tom, shocked, retreats, but in his utter lonliness he misses his friend. Not until
he is in the hospital after an automobile accident does he gain enough perspective
to see what gossip has done to his life and'his emotional stability; he realizes that
he has had feelings of guilt and shame imposed on him by the community, that
he has no real reason to doubt his own heterosexuality-and that he can now accept
Ward as a valued friend. Both the accident and the instant insight of the ending
are weak compared to the strength and realism of the story; characterization is
good, the picture of a small community candid and perceptive, the treatment of
attitudes toward homosexuality understanding.
Haywood, Carolyn. A Christmas Fantasy; illus by Glenys and Victor Ambrus. Morrow,
1972. 28p. Trade ed. $3.95; Library ed. $3.78 net.
Little Claus had been found on the hearthrug when he was a baby; his godmother
Ad thought he must have come down the chimney. At any rate, that was the way
4-6 he always came into the house, the bells on his belt jingling. The plump, "jolly
yrs. little fellow" (a repeated phrase) was given a present every day by his godmother,
and when he grew to school age, Claus decided to share his presents, so he would
slip quietly down a chimney in the night. . . . and so it went. This explanation
of the Santa Claus legend is just a bit too pat and sweet in substance and telling
to have much vitality, but it has appeal both in the Christmas theme and in the
vigorous, colorful illustrations.
Hazen, Barbara Shook. Happy, Sad, Silly, Mad; A Beginning Book About Emotions; illus.
by Elizabeth Dauber. Wonder Books/Grosset, 1971. 44p. $1.00.
This is a modest attempt to explore, rather than to explain, the diversity of emotions
M people feel. Illustrated with mediocre drawings, the text asks questions and occasion-
3-4 ally makes comments. "Do you feel sad when something breaks? Or when someone
leaves you? Does that make you feel like crying? . . . When you can't go on a
picnic because it's raining outside, do you feel dark and gloomy inside? Don't worry,
the rain will go away. And so will the sad way you feel." The text does not analyze
the sources of emotional reaction, nor approach their resolution with logic; it simply
goes through some and occasionally makes encouraging remarks about the less happy
emotions.
Heffron, Dorris. A Nice Fire and Some Moonpennies. Atheneum, 1972. 160p. $4.50.
Maizie McComber is sixteen, Canadian, Indian, and-as she tells it--enthralled
NR by having "experiences." Like sneaking off to a hippie neighborhood in Toronto
7-9 to try pot. She gets picked up by a sex pervert, then by some charming farmers
who are health food proponents, then by an ebullient college team. She goes to
the apartment of some lesbian friends for dinner, goes off to smoke pot with a
young man who attempts seduction, shows her a movie he has made about Indians,
[26]
and argues about religion, social attitudes, etc. (She resists him, saying she is saving
sex for college.) Roughed up, Maizie breaks her arm, runs off, is met by her own
dear boyfriend, and is hospitalized. "But the whole thing, the whole experience
I mean, was pretty good. One of my best." While some of the conversations touch
with conviction on issues that deeply concern many adolescents, the book is so
overfilled with issues and incidents that these lose impact; in trying to empathize
with young people, the author has cluttered her story and made her heroine too
much a twittery pseudo-sophisticate to be believable.
Hellman, Hal. The Lever and The Pulley; illus. by Lynn Sweat. Evans/Lippincott, 1971.
45p. $3.95.
Clear diagrams, well-placed in relation to textual references to the principles they
R illustrate, add to the usefulness of a text that is simple and clear. The two subjects
3-5 are treated separately, each progressing from basic functioning to slightly more com-
plex examples of the ways in which the lever and pulley work and in which they
offer mechanical advantages for the user.
Hogrogian, Nonny. Apples. Macmillan, 1972. 26p. illus. $4.95.
An attractive picture book without words, the plot slight but clear. Two children
Ad and some animals cross, in turn, a green and sunny landscape, discarding their
2-4 apple cores. One by one, apple trees spring up until the pages are filled with trees
yrs. bearing ripe fruit. There is no indication of seasonal change and time passing; in
the end the apple vendor (who was seen at the beginning) is picking apples and
filling his cart. He goes off-end of story. Not imposing, but pleasant.
Johnson, James Ralph. Zoos of Today. McKay, 1971. 152p. illus. $5.50.
Rambling and anecdotal, this has quite a different approach from Perry's Zoos,
Ad reviewed below, with less attention to day-to-day work done by the staff but with
5-7 a broader scope, since it considers in detail the sources for getting new animals,
the zoo's role in preventing extinction of species, and raising animals in captivity.
The author writes rather defiantly in defense of "Why Most Animals Prefer Zoo
Life," in an introductory chapter that is not wholly convincing. Photographs are
bound in, in a separate section, a less interesting technique in a book on this subject
than that used in William Bridges' excellent Zoo Careers or the Perry book. A
useful list of zoos and aquariums in the United States and Canada, divided by
states and provinces and including opening hours, a bibliography, and an index
are appended.
Kotzwinkle, William. The Oldest Man; and Other Timeless Stories; illus. by Joe Servello.
Pantheon Books, 1971. 66p. $3.95.
Four fanciful short stories are told in an elaborate style, each tale beginning
Ad with a realistic setting and moving into the mystical area in which the human being
5-6 changes form-or perhaps dreams that he does. In the title story, the laziest man
in the world sits so quietly that a tree grows around him; in another tale a mortal
becomes King of the Fairies; in the third, a butterfly collector turns into a butterfly
and-learning how it feels to be caught-gives up that livlihood when he regains
human form; in the fourth story, an old painter puts so much of himself and life
into a mural that its horses gallop at night and their manes turn white when he
dies. The stories have imaginative touches but they also seem derivative, and the
mysticism and writing style may limit the audience.
[27]
Langner, Nola. Joseph and the Wonderful Tree; written and illus. by Nola Langner. Addison-
Wesley, 1972. 46p. $4.95.
Illustrated with lively, vigorous drawings that are lightened by humor, this fanciful
M tale is set in Mexico. It is antiwar, anti-dictator, pro-laughter, written with compe-
3-4 tence, and sunny in outlook, yet it does not quite succeed as an entity, perhaps
because the plot moves slowly and there seems no adequate explanation for the
bitter hostility of El Hombre, the most important man in town (Why? No reason
given.) whose obduracy provides the situation that the story resolves. Angry at
everybody and everything, El Hombre sets guards around the Wonderful Tree.
Joseph, the only boy in town who knows how to laugh, finds the secret of the
Tree: anyone who stands under it laughs, and he leads all the always-dour townspeople
to the Wonderful Tree. Laughter abounds, and the internecine warfare instigated
by El Hombre comes to an end. And the Tree, cared for tenderly by all, blooms
as it never has before.
Leichman, Seymour. The Wicked Wizard and the Wicked Witch. Harcourt, 1972. 28p. illus.
$4.95.
Although this isn't a Hallowe'en story, it is a bit of fun appropriate for reading
R aloud on a holiday so witch-oriented. The power struggle between the witch and
K-3 the wizard, each of whom claims to be the most wicked, entails a series of one-
upmanship spells, all enjoyably awful. Worn out by this marathon, the witch declares
"Though spells that are vicious are truly delicious/it takes too much out of us both,"
and her confrere admits, "The results are unsightly," he tells her politely, "And
what's more it might stunt our growth." The illustrations are amusing, the slight
theme executed with a flourish of rhythmic nonsense.
Lester, Julius. Long Journey Home; Stories from Black History. Dial, 1972. 147p. $4.95.
Six stories about slaves and freedmen in black history are based on such sources
R as interviews and footnotes. In a foreword, Julius Lester explains that he has chosen
7- minor figures because the mass of people were the "movers of history" while the
great figures are their symbols. Although one monologue, the title story, is slow-
moving, the others are dramatic, some poignant and some bitter; the selections
are diversified in their settings and alike in their sharply-etched effectiveness.
Lindgren, Astrid (Ericsson). Karlsson-on-the-Roof; illus. by Jan Pyk; tr. by Marianne Turner.
Viking, 1971. 128p. Trade ed. $3.95; Library ed. $3.77 net.
Karlsson is a wee man who flies and who considers himself better at everything
M than anybody in the world, a fact he does not hesitate to tell little Eric. Astounded
3-5 by his visitor, Eric believes all the boasts and falls for every trick the gluttonous
Karlsson pulls. Reports to Eric's family bring irritated disbelief, and they are con-
vinced that when Eric gets a long-desired dog for his birthday he will forget Karlsson-
on-the-roof-but in a final scene, Eric's astounded parents see that their son's play-
mate is not imaginary. The story, episodic in structure, has some appeal in its nonsense
humor, and the style is yeasty, but the episodes are clogged by a stress on Karlsson's
boasting and his appetite to the point where contrivance outweighs comedy.
Lively, Penelope. The Wild Hunt of the Ghost Hounds. Dutton, 1972. 144p. $4.95.
Now that she was twelve, Lucy found that the two sisters who had been her
R friends on her visit, years ago, to the small village of Hagworthy, were bores. Silly,
5-7 giggling, horse-crazy girls-but Kester was different, an odd boy with a good mind,
[28]
wide interests, and an eerie quality she couldn't define. Kester clearly knew more
than he would admit about the old superstition of the Wild Hunt, the supernatural
pack of dogs led by a rider who wore antlers. Was it true, as the old superstition
said, that they appeared when the ancient Horn Dance was performed? When the
local Vicar decides to revive the old tradition of the dance, strange things happen.
The story is deftly constructed, a successful blend of fantasy with its own reality
and suspense, and a reality that comprises sharp-etched characters, good dialogue,
and some marvelous vignettes of village life and relationships.
Mariana. Miss Flora McFlimsey's Halloween. Lothrop, 1972. 42p. illus. Trade ed. $3.75;
Library ed. $3.78 net.
Miss Flora, a very ladylike doll, goes off with her cat friend Pookoo to ride
M with a witch to the Halloween ball. She and her tiny stowaway, Timothy Mouse,
3-5 fall off the broomstick, hear an owlet's report that goblins are ravaging the dollhouse,
yrs. and are alarmed. The mouse goes back to scout, Miss Flora goes on to the ball,
finds the cat, flies home, the clock strikes twelve, the goblins disappear. Timothy
Mouse claims it is because he said "Scat" at midnight that the creatures left. "Just
trust T. Mouse," the story ends. The combination of animals, a doll, and the holiday
theme has appeal for small children, but the plot is really a small flurry of activity
about very little, the only humor being in the concept of a timorous mouse claiming
to be the doll's protector.
Mathis, Sharon Bell. Teacup Full of Roses. Viking, 1972. 125p. $4.50.
When they were married, Joe told Ellie, they would live in a teacup full of roses,
M in a happy world that would be unlike the life of conflict and despair that is Joe's
6-9 reality. His father is an invalid, his mother interested only in her oldest child, Paul,
an artist and a drug addict. Neither Joe nor his younger brother Davey are important
to her, and to Joe-who loves and protects both brothers as much as he can-the
rejection is wounding but comprehensible. Joe, in fact, is almost saintly in his unselfish
denial of his own plans; he uses his college money for Davey, enlisting in the Navy
and giving up both his college plans and Ellie. Paul, back on drugs after an institutional
stay, is the indirect cause of Davey's death, the story ending with Joe's long peroration
to his dead brother. Although the book has moments of vivid perception and candor,
it is not quite convincing; save for the bitter portrayal of Joe's mother, the characteri-
zation provides types rather than black people who come alive.
May, Julian. Hank Aaron Clinches the Pennant. Crestwood House, 1972. 48p. illus. $4.95.
Adequately written, but with a static quality, a sports biography in the usual
Ad pattern: a bit of boyhood prowess, the ups and downs of farm club period, highlights
3-5 of a career in the major leagues, a few facts about the biographee's personal life,
a page of statistics. The author has capitalized as best she could the quiet quality
of a man whose only flamboyance is in performance.
Mayne, William. Royal Harry. Dutton, 1972. 160p. $4.95.
Harriet, when she heard from a lawyer that she had inherited a house and a
R mountain, was definitely not enthralled by the idea of moving to an isolated place
5-7 in the country, but her parents were firm. They moved. What twelve-year-old could
resist the appeal of the mysterious mountain inhabitants, the lure of finding an old
ship, the thrill of being a herditary Queen? In his deft and graceful style, William
Mayne unravels the history of Hartacre House and Royal Harry, the characters
and the setting intriguing, the plot somewhat weakened by lack of focus.
[29]
Milgrom, Harry. ABC of Ecology; photographs by Donald Crews. Macmillan, 1972. 30p.
$4.95.
From Atmosphere to Zero Hour, the problems of pollution and ecological imbal-
Ad ance are presented in a series of large, clear photographs in black and white, accom-
4-7 panied by a few sentences that define the word (or words) and query the reader.
yrs. For example, "Noise can hurt your ears. Listen to the sounds around you. What
noises do you hear? What makes the loudest noise?", or "Water is everywhere.
Clean water helps us stay alive. Where do you find water? How do we use water?"
The emphasis is on pollution rather than ecology, and the appended section of
notes addressed to parents and teachers give added value to a book that can serve
as a springboard for discussion that will stimulate awareness and understanding
of the plight man has inflicted on his own environment.
Monjo, Ferdinand N. Slater's Mill; illus. by Laszlo Kubinyi. Simon and Schuster, 1972.
78p. $4.95.
Samuel Slater came to Rhode Island in 1790 to look at the cotton-mill of Moses
Ad Brown; something was wrong, Brown said, and the machinery wasn't working.
4-6 Slater had served his apprenticeship in England, learned all the details of Arkwright's
water-spinning frame, and proposed to construct, from memory, a duplicate of that
machine. The story gives a great deal of information about the technicalities of
this landmark in industrial progress, about Quakers (Moses Brown was a Friend)
and about the period in which it is set. As a story, however, despite a love interest
and some suspense in the perfecting of the machinery, the book moves slowly,
its pace slowed by the technical details.
Perry, John. Zoos; illus. with photographs. Watts, 1971. 86p. $3.75.
Clear photographs, adequately placed and captioned, add to the appeal and the
R informational value of a book that is, despite evidence of carelessness in writing
3-6 style, by and large a crisp, factual survey of the work done in zoos. The material
is well-organized, the facts presented with authority by a naturalist. Chapters cover
such topics as design and planning, maintenance, veterinary medicine, the work
of the zoo keeper, etc. A brief list of other books suggested for reading and an
index are appended.
Ross, Pat, comp. Young and Female; Turning Points in the Lives of Eight American Women:
Personal accounts compiled with introductory notes by Pat Ross. Random House,
1972. 104p. $3.95.
Pat Ross, an articulate member of Feminists on Children's Media, has chosen
R selections from eight autobiographies of modern women, each showing a turning
7-10 point in the author's life and each prefaced by an editorial note that gives some
biographical information and facts about the biographee's careers. Those careers
are as varied as the authors' styles, so that the book has a lively contrast as well
as subject interest. The women who write of being young and female are Margaret
Bourke-White, Shirley Chisholm, Dorothy Day, Edna Ferber, Althea Gibson, Emily
Hahn, Shirley MacLaine, and Margaret Sanger.
Ross, Wilda S. Who Lives in This Log? illus. by Elizabeth Schmidt. Coward, 1971. 46p.
$3.49.
A former teacher of natural history describes the flora and fauna that live in
and on a log left by lumbermen on the forest floor. Some of the material describes
[30]
M the changes in the log itself, as time, weather, and invasion by a series of dwellers
2-3 break down the wood, eventually enriching the environment. All of the creatures
described are log dwellers, but the short sections give facts that are not always
pertinent, and in one case the entire section contributes little: "Field Mice. Two
field mice find a hole in the bark. This makes a doorway to a safe shelter deep
inside the log." The writing is dry, direct, and simple; the facts are accurate. Illustra-
tions are mediocre and not always informative. Although there is a great demand
for books on ecology, the material here is available elsewhere, often indexed and
better illustrated.
Schell, Orville. Modern China: The Story of a Revolution; by Orville Schell and Joseph
Esherick. Knopf, 1972. 151p. illus. Trade ed. $4.95; Library ed. $5.49 net.
Detailed and thoughtful, given impact by the quotation of source materials, this
R is an excellent analysis of the events that lead up to the establishment of a communist
7- regime and a description of what is happening in China today. A history section
precedes the contemporary material, giving the reader a basis for understanding
the dissatisfaction that led to revolt. The book is especially valuable for the clarity
with which it treats the relationship between the communist faction and the Kuomin-
tang. A descriptive bibliography and an index are appended.
Sleator, William. Blackbriar; illus. by Blair Lent. Dutton, 1972. 224p. $5.95.
Orphaned, Danny had been taken in by Phillipa Sibley, the secretary at his school,
Ad when he was seven. Now that he was fifteen, he rather resented her possessiveness
6-8 and the fact that she had managed to break up every friendship he had made. When
Phillipa suggested they go off to live in the country without telling his legal guardian,
Danny was dubious, but he soon found he liked the isolated cottage she'd
chosen-although there was something queer about it. The local people seemed
hostile . . . somebody seemed able to get into the house in a mysterious fashion
. .. one man they met was oddly fulsome in praise of their cat. The story ends
with Danny's discovery that there is a local group practicing black magic, led by
a deranged nobleman. The cat has been an intended sacrificial victim. The characteri-
zations of Danny and Phillipa are vivid, at times acidulous, and the setting is compel-
lingly drawn. Although the story has suspense and is deftly written, it is weak
in plot: the involvement of the two main characters in the circle of devil worshippers
seems contrived. Beleagured as Danny and Phillipa are, there is never a convincing
explanation of why they have been harassed.
Spier, Peter. Crash! Bang! Boom! Doubleday, 1972. 44p. illus. $4.95.
Pages filled with charming, colorful paintings of (usually) familiar objects have
Ad a perennial appeal for small children. Here each picture on the page has a caption
2-5 indicating the sound it makes-but do marching men's feet really sound like "tramp,
yrs. tramp?" or a wire being cut like "snap?" Some of the pages have unfamiliar pictures
(mailed knights in feudal combat) and, on most pages, the objects are grouped so
that a child can see relationships: sports, musical performers, aircraft, and so on-but
here and there an inclusion may baffle him. Lightweight, but fun.
Steig, William. Dominic; story and pictures by William Steig. Farrar, 1972. 146p. $4.50.
In his first novel for children, William Steig has created an engaging hero, a
dog with heart of gold, nerves of steel, and the varied talents of Renaissance Man.
[31]
R In a story with sophisticated humor and picaresque plot, Dominic sallies forth to
4-6 see the world and to earn gratitude and acclaim for his generosity, his courage,
and his prowess at absolutely everything to which he turns his paw-including the
foiling of a dastardly troop of villains who have been preying on the community.
The animals of the story are really people in disguise, but Steig's wit and his insouciant
illustrations make Dominic and his friends wholly believable. A good story for reading
aloud to third-grade children.
Stephens, William M. Flamingo; Bird of Flame; written by William M. Stephens and Peggy
Stephens; illus. by Matthew Kalmenoff. Holiday House, 1972. 48p. $3.95.
A brief description of the colony of American Flamingoes on the lakes of an
Ad island in the Bahamas is followed by the story of one bird's life cycle. The writing
3-5 is straightforward, with no ascription of personality; the text is clear and unembel-
lished, the print large and readable, the illustrations precise. Despite a dry style,
this is an interesting addition to a useful natural science series for the middle grades.
Symons, Geraldine. Miss Rivers and Miss Bridges; illus. by Alexy Pendle. Macmillan, 1972.
190p. $4.95.
The delightful heroines of The Workhouse Child are on the loose in London,
R where Pansy has come to visit Atalanta and is enthralled by the house, the glamor
6-8 of Atalanta's actress mother, and the campaign being waged by the suffragettes
of the pre-World War I period. Determined to participate in this good cause, the
stalwart Atalanta and her friend disguise themselves in matronly garb and, as Miss
Rivers and Miss Bridges, manage to create a considerable amount of disruption,
with consequent newspaper publicity and a jail sentence. The setting and the period
details are vivid, adeptly incorporated into the story, and the exploits of the protagon-
ists are believable, funny, and exciting.
Thayer, Jane. Gus and the Baby Ghost; illus. by Seymour Fleishman. Morrow, 1972. 32p.
Trade ed. $3.95; Library ed. $3.78 net.
The established clientele for stories of Gus, the friendly ghost, will enjoy this
R new book about his doings. Finding a baby ghost on the doorstep one night, Gus
K-2 takes it in, becomes fond of the invisible little creature, and decides to keep it.
The caretaker of the historical museum in which Gus lives, Mr. Frizzle, roars around
so that he frightens the infant; assured that the child will only coo with pleasure
if he doesn't hear Frizzle's loud voice, the caretaker is satisfied albeit apprehensive
about visitors' reactions. To his surprise, when a visitor does hear a coo and says
wistfully she wished there were a baby ghost, his admission that there is one brings
happy throngs. Gus, a contented foster father, happily does baby laundry. Text
and pictures have a gentle humor, the tale is simply and pleasantly told, and the
plot-while not substantial-has freshness and warmth.
Thompson, Vivian Laubach. Hawaiian Tales of Heroes and Champions; illus. by Herbert
Kawainui Kane. Holiday House, 1971. 128p. $4.95.
A dozen tales of ancient heroes, most of whom are either possessed of some
R extraordinary power or are in command of a creature or an object that can perform
4-6 magic for them. The stories are well told and filled with color and action; although
the plots differ, there is a similarity in the tales, each concerned with bold adventure
and the besting of enemies. A useful source, as are the author's other retellings
of Hawaiian tales and legends, for storytelling.
[32]
Tregarthen, Enys. The Doll Who Came Alive; ed. by Elizabeth Yates; illus. by Nora S.
Unwin. Day, 1972. 76p. Trade ed. $4.95; Library ed. $3.96 net.
Clean-lined, delicate drawings illustrate a new edition of a story found in manus-
Ad cript; it was written by a Cornish storyteller and writer who died in 1923, and
3-4 the preface by the editor translates some of the terms used in the fanciful story.
Although the cruel stepmother who drives Jyd and her doll out of the house appears
as the fulcrum of the tale's action, she does not otherwise figure in the story. Jyd
had been given the jointed Dutch doll by a kindly sailor, who told her it would
be the most wonderful doll in the world if she could, as she eagerly declared, "love
her and love her until she was alive like me." The story ends with the sailor's
ship coming into port and Jyd presumably destined for a happier home, but it is
really simply a series of incidents in which Jyd's doll comes alive, learns games,
finds out about walking and eating, and has an encounter with the Little People.
Very romantic and somewhat moralistic, the story's appeal-in addition to the ever-
entrancing lure of dolls for some children-is in the unusual setting and in the vigorous
imagination of Jyd.
Tresselt, Alvin R. The Dead Tree; illus. by Charles Robinson. Parents' Magazine, 1972.
28p. Trade ed. $4.50; Library ed. $4.19 net.
Illustrated with handsome pictures in soft-hued water colors, this gives much
R the same story that is in Who Lives in This Log? by Ross, reviewed above, but
K-2 the text is far superior. Alvin Tresselt has the ability to give accurate information
simply while using prose that has a poetic quality. The illustrations echo and amplify
the mood of woodland stillness that is a background for the busy procession of
creatures and plants that use a fallen tree for food and shelter. The text follows
the tree's life from full maturity to its return to the rich humus of the forest floor.
Ungerer, Tomi. I Am Papa Snap and These Are My Favorite No Such Stories; written
and illus. by Tomi Ungerer. Harper, 1971. 28p. Tra'de ed..$4.95; Library ed. $5.11
net.
A page or two, illustrated with the brilliantly glum characters familiar to Ungerer
M fans, is devoted to each of the brief (under twenty lines) nonsense stories. Some
5-7 of the inclusions seem pointless, some have a daffy charm; the characters, all animals,
yrs. have such names as Zink Slugg, Mr. Tuber Sprout, Sir Spiffy Loin, or Mr. Slop
Gut, but the style is otherwise pseudo-serious. "When Mr. Slop Gut visits his
favorite restaurant he orders everything on the menu. The other night he put on
so much weight during his meal that he crashed through the floor on his way out."
Picture: a pink pig swilling down his dinner. Facing picture: Mr. Slop Gut crashing
through the floor, taking a waiter with laden tray along.
Watson, Clyde. Tom Fox and the Apple Pie; illus. by Wendy Watson. T. Y. Crowell, 1972.
42p. $3.95.
Youngest of the fourteen little Fox children, Tom was "the greediest and laziest
Ad . . . but also the youngest and sweetest, as is so often the case." Waking one morning
3-5 to a smell of apple pie, Tom Fox was as dismayed as his brothers and sisters
yrs. to learn that he had to do chores. Lured by the smell of the pies at a fair, he
stole off at noon and bought a pie, planning to divide it when he returned; he couldn't
resist temptation, ate it all, and was sent to bed with no supper when he reached
home. But he was full of apple pie, and didn't really care. This slight but amiable
story demonstrates Tom's greed rather than his sweetness, but children can enjoy
[33]
the triumph of his complacent retirement. The scratchboard illustrations in blue,
black, and white, have a sprightly humor, each page decoratively framed by a leafy
canopy.
Wells, Rosemary. Unfortunately Harriet. Dial, 1972. 27p. illus. Trade ed. $3.95; Library
ed. $3.69 net.
A nonsensical story, lightweight but amusing, of a small girl's predicament, her
Ad abortive efforts to solve her problem, and the sudden solution by an outside agent.
K-2 Having spilled varnish on the middle of the new brown rug, Harriet tries to cover
it up with furniture-almost every piece of furniture in the living room. Loaded,
the floor creaks ominously, and Harriet rushes down to the basement and piles
things on top of the washing machine to prop up the floor. She goes to wash her
hands, realizes how sticky the varnish is, sadly moves the furniture lest it get stuck.
Woe. And then comes reprieve in the form of a rug deliverer, who explains that
the brown rug will be covered (presumably it is a rug pad) by the red one. Last
scene: Harriet rolling on the new red rug in ecstasy. Slight, but fun.
Wibberley, Leonard. Flint's Island. Farrar, 1972. 166p. $4.50.
Although the jacket copy of Flint's Island states specifically that it is not a sequel
R to Treasure Island, it is, according to the author, an "attempt to supply the story
6-9 of what happened to the remaining treasure. . .". Set in 1760, the tale is told by
Tom Whelan, one of the crew of the brig Jane. Landing on an uncharted island,
they discover Long John Silver, who is prepared-he says-to share with them
the buried treasure of the pirate Flint. Told in robust, rollicking style, the story
that follows is one of treachery and greed, fighting for survival, and a felicitous
mixture of treasure, villainy, and courage. Sequel or not, a rousing successor.
Wier, Ester. The Partners; illus. by Anna Maria Ahl. McKay, 1972. 128p. $4.95.
The story of a summer's friendship is written in a quiet style, the slow pace
Ad relieved by one dramatic episode. Determined to make a successor of his project-
4-6 growing earthworms to sell as bait-Frank Martin, who likes to be called "Fearless",
is surprised to find a girl looking over his box of worms. Willy lives alone with
her grandfather, a migrant farm laborer, and is so sensible and helpful that Fearless
takes her on as a partner. Their exploration of a local cave almost brings disaster
when Fearless is trapped during a tornado, but Willy leads adults to a successful
rescue. The story ends with Willy's imminent departure and Fearless telling his
partner, happily, how proud his parents are of him for his stamina and courage.
Despite the suspense of the tornado sequence, the story lacks pace and focus.
Wolf, Bernard. Daniel and the Whale Hunters; the adventures of a Portuguese boy in a
whaling town in the Azores; written and illus. by Bernard Wolf. Random House,
1972. 72p. $5.49.
Photographs in black and white extend the information given in the text, which
Ad describes the life of a family in the Azores and of fifteen-year-old Daniel's first
4-6 trip in a whale boat. The book moves rather slowly to the exciting episode of the
whale hunt, giving the sort of facts about the family and the community that have
become so familiar in the series of village studies by Sonia and Tim Gidal. The
text is third person, the writing style static; the story of the whale hunt and the
picture of the Portugese family are interesting but the book is marred by a use
of repeated phrases in two languages in the dialogue (Would Daniel really say "Bom
dia! Good morning.. ."?) and by the fact that the text veers from the broad view
[34]
to the narrower focus on a minor incident in a family situation.
Wolfe, Louis. Aquaculture: Farming in Water. Putnam, 1972. 108p. illus. $3.69.
A description of the raisting of food fish, shellfish, and seaweed for commercial
Ad purposes gives information in a rather plodding style. The text describes techniques
6-9 used in fresh, brackish, and salt water ponds and ranches, deplores man's wastefulness
and pollution, and concludes-on a cautiously hopeful note-that there are pos-
sibilities in aquaculture that may help fill the growing food needs of the world.
The material is well-organized, but the writing style is dull and the text concentrates
quite heavily on detailed descriptions of individual species rather than on the more
pertinent subject of techniques in the field. A bibliography of sources indicates
that perhaps some of the material has been culled from articles and adapted. One
of the most interesting aspects of the topic is discussed in the chapter, "Problems
Facing Aquaculture Today," the restrictions imposed by outmoded laws. A very
brief and inadequate list of "Other Books About the Waters Around Us" and an
index are appended.
Woolley, Catherine. Cathy Uncovers a Secret; illus. by Don Almquist. Morrow, 1972. 189p.
Trade ed. $4.50; Library ed. $4.14 net.
How nice to have a mystery story with no criminals, no violence, no fear. Cathy's
R interest is aroused when a very old woman, visiting the Leonard's home, says vaguely
4-6 that there was "something special" about the house. On this slim clue, Cathy dilig-
ently visits the library, the newspaper morgue, and other sources of information.
Realistically, she occasionally becomes involved in other affairs and her interest
wanes, but the "something special" tantalizes her, and she keeps at it, with her
family's help, until she's found the answer-a letter from Abraham Lincoln. The
family's decision to keep the letter secret seems odd, but the story otherwise is
convincing, well-constructed, and nicely paced; for readers devoted to stories about
Cathy and her sister Chris there is also the appeal of homely familiarity.
Wrightson, Patricia. An Older Kind of Magic; illus. by Noela Young. Harcourt, 1972. 186p.
$4.95.
In a book blending realism and fantasy, the creatures of Australian folklore creep
R quietly about the edges of a story of urban conservation. At only one point do
4-6 they impinge on the realistic, major narrative-and this aspect of the tale is not
wholly convincing, yet the deft writing and strong characterization, the appeal of
the setting and the contemporary interest of the plot carry the book. Three children
in Sydney learn that a wealthy man is determined to take some of the land that
is part of the Botanical Garden where they love to play, and they are determined
to foil the attempt. Actually, the mercenary mogul is pulled underground by one
set of little people (where he is forced to play with them) and kept away from
an important meeting. There are other magical elements, but the theme is conservation
triumphant. The characterization of adults tends to be exaggerated, but the children
are marvelously real.
Yolen, Jane H. Friend; The Story of George Fox and the Quakers. Seabury, 1972. 179p.
$5.95.
A strange man, George Fox. He believed that wars were wrong, he wore his
R hair long, he spoke with passion for prison reform and inveighed against slavery
7- and the inequity of treatment of women. He was, over three hundred years ago,
[35]
a man whose ideas speak to day's readers. Careful research and a forthright style
make this biography of the founder of Quakerism valuable both as a biography
and as a history of religion and religious intolerance in England-and to some extent
in America. George Fox and his followers were persecuted, reviled, and repeatedly
jailed for their beliefs and often for their refusal to swear an oath; although the
tone of Friend is not effusive or laudatory, the book is a vigorous testament to
Fox's religious dedication and his personal integrity. A bibliography and an index
are appended.
Yoshida, Jim. The Two Worlds ofJim Yoshida; by Jim Yoshida with Bill Hosokawa. Morrow,
1972. 256p. $6.95.
American-born, Jim Yoshida had gone with his mother to take his father's ashes
R to Japan and was caught by World War II. A dual citizen, he was conscripted
8- by the Japanese Army and sent to China; after recuperating from severe illness,
he discovered that he had lost his status as an American citizen. He served as
an unpaid (and illegal) volunteer with the U.S. forces in the Korean War, hoping
this would prove his loyalty. In 1954, he regained his citizenship. The book is kinterest-
ing because of the information it gives about Japan's view of the war rather than
because Yoshida himself is an interesting character; he's very much a typical soldier,
an average guy. The fact that he's a judo expert adds color to the story, which
is capably written-presumably by Bill Hosokawa, an experienced journalist.
Young, Jean. Woodstock Craftsman's Manual. Praeger, 1972. 253p. Paper ed. $4.95; Cloth
ed. $10.00.
Whether the reader simply enjoys amateur craftsmanship or is looking for a
R remunerative skill, this offers a variety of crafts; beadwork, pottery, tie dye and
8- batik, silkscreen, macrame, leatherwork, home recordings, candlemaking, embroid-
ery. The instructions are clear, the illustrations (usually by the writer of each section)
good size, and the suggestions for purchase of materials helpful. Best of all, the
book is written with zest and informality.
Zim, Herbert Spencer. Your Brain and How It Works; illus. by Rene Martin. Morrow,
1972. 64p. Trade ed. $3.75; Library ed. $3.65 net.
A continuous text, well-organized and amply illustrated, describes the formation
R of the human brain and its growth in the growing individual, compares it to human
4-6 ancestors and to other animals, describes its structure and functioning, and discusses
the complexity of the brain and the concept of "mind." Serious, lucid, and written
in a matter-of-fact style, the book gives good coverage to an intricate subject. An
index is appended.
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